Wayward Ways
by jenniferpatterson134
Summary: AU/OOC - Emily Thorne is a girl who has learned to be independent from a very small age, ever since a tragic accident claimed the lives of her family. Her mediocre life suddenly changes as her rich ex employer hires her again to work for his son as a chauffeur, Daniel Grayson who is reputed to be a handsome, egotistical, womanizer, that has a dark air of mystery surrounding him.
1. Chapter 1

**_WAYWARD WAYS_**

**Summary**

**AU/OOC : Emily Thorne is a girl who has learned to be independent from a very small age, ever since a tragic accident claimed the lives of her family. Her mediocre life suddenly starts to change as her rich ex employer hires her again to work for his son as a chauffeur, Daniel Grayson who is reputed to be a handsome, egotistical, womanizer, that has a dark air of mystery surrounding him.**

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**Author's Note**

**Hi guys, I have decided to write another story except this time, it doesn't have much to do with Revenge, but the characters are the same. Please read it with an open mind, and I hope you like it. **

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**Chapter 1**

**Emily.**

"Ugh." Emily Thorne said, as she slammed her alarm clock, barely opening her tired eyes. She grudgingly looked at the time; it was 6:00 in the morning. As she woke up, she looked outside through the window. The sun still hadn't risen, and the birds were all still in their deep slumber. She groaned, and waited for her eyes to adjust to the daylight that had started to peek through the windows. She got up, and put on her slippers reluctantly. Today was going to be a day just like any other.

Riding her tattered, and worn out bike, she threw a newspaper on the front porch of what seemed to be a very huge house. This was part of her daily schedule, as agonizing as it was. She really needed the money, she was barely getting by. From a very small age, Emily had to learn how to be independent. From the few childhood memories she'd had, she used to have a happy life, until one incident that took that away from her. She didn't like recalling it; it was something that she wanted to suppress. The _incident_ had taken away her family. Her mother had passed away shortly after, and her father had been admitted in a coma in a vegetative state for the past 10 years, this is why most of her income went towards paying the enormous amount of hospital bills that she received ever moth. Emily was taught to live with the bare minimums. As much as she wanted to go to school after that, she realized that she couldn't, it wasn't in her top priorities. That being said, it never stopped her from wanting to learn. Many times, she would sneak in classes and lectures when she was free, just for the sake of education. Going to school formally though, was too time consuming, she needed a source of income and so she decided to put her education aside, and work part time at many little places. Snapping out from her thoughts, Emily quickly looked at the time, it was quarter to eight and it was almost late for her next job at The Stowaway. She parked her bike near the bus stand, and patiently awaited her bus, into the city.

"Sorry, I'm late." She said, panting, and out of breath.

"You're just on time." replied Jack Porter as he began to get set up the bar for the day.

The Stowaway was one place where Emily felt remotely comfortable at. It was a small restaurant/bar that was located at the heart of the city. It didn't get a lot of costumers, but the few that it did have very loyal. On top of that, Emily's best friend worked there. His name was Jack Porter. He knew her since he was little, and he knew everything about her to the detail, Jack seemed to understand her in ways that people couldn't and he was just a kind hearted person that she could always trust. In her gloomy days, he would always cheer her up. Their relationship was special, it was surely one to be treasured, she often thought.

"I'm so exhausted." She said, putting on her apron hastily.

"You know, maybe you should take a day off." He replied.

"If only..." she said jokingly.

"No, I'm serious...you've been overworking yourself. You're up early, at six and you go home really late. That has got to be taking a toll on your health. I mean, when was the last time you actually had a peaceful day?" He questioned.

"I'm fine. It's nothing I can't handle. Plus, I really need the money, and it's quite hard to come by nowadays." She rebutted.

"How's your job search going?"

In the mess that was her life, Emily knew that she couldn't weigh tables her entire life. She needed to do something more, something significant, _anything_ to get her life back on track.

"I applied to a few places, but other than that, it's going pretty blandly."

Jack laughed, "You know, you can work here permanently, if nothing works out."

"I think I'll pass," Emily replied, jokingly.

"Why? We make a good team though," Jack said, with a small hint of a wink.

"We've got customers," she said, pointing to the door, quickly, making sure to avoid wherever Jack was going with his previous statement.

By the end of her shift, Emily was _exhausted_. She looked at her watch, it was 8:00, and daylight was slowly fading, into darkness. She'd better get home before the night engulfed the sun.

"Jack! I'm leaving." she said, hoping to catch the next bus on time.

"Wait, here..." he said, handing her a bag.

"What's this?" she asked, peeking in and opening it.

"Just some food I made."

"Thank you, I can't wait to eat it!" she said, kissing him on the cheek.

"Goodnight Emily, I'll see you tomorrow." Jack said, waving.

As Emily walked home, she looked out into the busy streets. She was so tired of her life. Every single day was the same, every single day was so predictable, for once, and she wanted to be spontaneous. She wanted to do something rash, something stupid, just for the sake of it, without having to worry about the consequences, but she couldn't, that was a risk that she couldn't take. Emily was interrupted by a phone call; she looked at the Caller ID, and was a bit surprised. It was her ex employer, Conrad Grayson.

"Hello?"

"Am I speaking to Emily Thorne?"

"Are you busy right now?" he inquired,

Emily assessed her situation, what could he possibly want? He was the one that had fired her for her "lack of responsibility" Emily used to be on his security team. She would stay around him and keep a lookout for any suspicious people, and often offer chauffeuring services. As trivial as the job seemed, it paid well. Since Conrad Grayson was a huge political figure, he gave top priority to his security personnel, Emily being one of them, which meant that the money was well distributed. If she still had that job, Emily wouldn't have to do so many obscure jobs here and there. Why was he calling her personally? Why wasn't his secretary calling on his behalf? What did he suddenly want? It had been a few years since she had last talked to him,

"I'm available, what is this about though?"

"I would like to re-visit the opportunity to having you work for me Ms. Thorne."

Emily couldn't believe it.

"You're joking right?" she asked ecstatically, reverting back to her informal tone.

"However, my terms are a little different this time."

Emily grew a little suspicious, "What do you mean?"

"I need your chauffeuring services, not for me, but my son. He has just recently returned from Europe and he's well, a _handful_ to put in simpler terms. I need you to make sure that he doesn't get into trouble of any sort."

"You want me to be a _babysitter_?" she asked, a bit offended.

"If you don't want to, that's fine. I can ask someone else."

"No, sorry, I was just thinking out loud..."

"I see, well your salary will be $500, for every hour you work, and it's non-negotiable."

"Oh my freaking god, you're serious? I'll take it!" she said with over enthusiasm in her voice, practically restraining from breaking out into tears of happiness.

"Alright, well I want you to start right away. I have arranged a car for you to pick up from here, at the company. You will use this car for solely work purposes, am I clear?"

"Of course, I totally understand, Mr. Grayson."

"The address of where you are to pick him up is already in the GPS. I will talk to you tomorrow."

Before Emily could reply, he had hung up. What just happened? She must be dreaming, he was actually going to pay her 500 bucks to take care of his son? What a sweet deal, she thought. Not wanting to be late, she quickly got on the bus to pick up the car. As soon as she got off, the sign "Grayson Global" was unmistakable. It was written in bold, white, block letters and stood out above the skyline. She looked around, how was she going to get in? Her talk with Conrad was so short that she had forgotten to ask him. As she approached the gate, she saw intimidating guys holding guns and dressed in security uniforms that were intently guarding the gate. She cautiously approached closer,

"Uh, hello...I'm here to pick up a car...?"

The two guards looked at her, and then back at each other puzzled.

"Ma'am, are you lost?" they asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"No, I- I got a call from Conrad Grayson who told me to pick up a car." She said, nervously.

"We're sorry; we can't let anyone in without an employee card, or special orders."

"WAIT. I have my employee card, just give me a second."

Emily fumbled in her purse for her wallet, even though the card was a little outdated, she hoped it would still work. She couldn't see very well however, since it had become dark, and the only things illuminating the night were a few street lamps. In order to see better, she put the bag of food that Jack had given her on the ground...almost instantly the guards cocked their guns directly at the white bag.

"Put your hands up ma'am."

Stunned, Emily dropped her purse and did what she was told. What the hell? Was this just a huge joke? She then looked at the guards, who were gazing at the bag that Jack had given her. It clicked in her mind the suspicious nature of the bag, and laughed.

"It's just some food that my friends gave me, it's harmless..." she said bending down to pick up the bag.

The guards, not believing her, took a step closer. They called for back-up on their radios,

"Look, see my phone? On the floor...look at the Caller ID, it was Conrad Grayson who called me, I swear. I'm not going to murder anyone!" she said frustrated.

Just then, the guards lifted their gaze as a black BMV pulled up near the gate. The guard's nodded to each other and bowed curtly in the direction of the car, opening the gate.

"What the hell? How come _that_ car doesn't get questioned, and I almost get blown to bits, trying to enter." She said, crossing her arms in disbelief. The guards diverted their attention back to her and dubiously approached her. The two of them grabbed one of arms and started dragging her away from the premise.

"LET ME GO! I AM **SO **FILING A COMPLAINT AGAINST YOU!" she said, trying to break free from their strong grasp. Looking on the floor, she saw a shadow approach the two guards, and instantaneously the two security personnel let go, and turned to face the silhouette that was behind her.

"Thank you, now...was that so hard?" she said dusting her clothes. She turned around, and saw a person dressed in a perfectly tailored and fitting suit just peering at her. He had sharp features, his jaw was so shapely structured and his eyes gleamed and looked like they were made of glass. His mouth had a hint of a smile, and Emily couldn't help but be taken aback by how _handsome_ he was. For a moment, she stayed there speechless. The stranger cleared his throat;

"What exactly are you two doing?" he asked, directing his gaze towards the two guards.

Emily laughed, _of course he had an accent too_, she thought. His voice was sharp, and filled with so much power and confidence. This guy was so damn perfect, she honestly felt like a high school teenager fawning over this stranger she had just seen.

"We were...just escorting this lady, she seemed to have been trespassing-"

"WOW, _escorting_? No need so sound so pompous, it was more like forcefully dragging, and I wasn't trespassing dimwits, I was rightfully asked to come here." She said interrupting.

The stranger tilted his head, and looked at her, without saying a word. The expression on his face was unreadable; she couldn't quite tell what he was thinking. Emily felt like his eyes were burning a hole through her...she quickly broke eye contact with him, and looked down.

"Are you two paid to rudely, and unnecessarily harass someone like that?" he asked, still looking at Emily, just as attentively as before.

"No Sir, but she had a suspicious white package with her, and she has no proof that Mr. Grayson himself asked her to come here, so we have to be on our full guards." They replied.

"Maybe if you guys had listened to me, I could have shown you some proof. I know you want to do your job but that doesn't mean you pounce at every person that you see. And that _white package_ is food...you know, the thing that we humans eat, in order to survive..." Emily stated sarcastically, once again interrupting, not really caring about what they thought of her.

The stranger unexpectedly broke out into a fit of laughter. Emily couldn't help but notice how his laughter chimed through the tense atmosphere.

"Are you okay Sir?" asked one of the guards...

He restrained from laughing further and grinned at Emily.

"You heard her..."

Suddenly, music broke out in the middle, interrupting their conversation. It was Emily's ringtone...a bit embarrassed, she walked over to her phone, and when she saw who it was, she smiled,

"LOOK. Look, look, look." She said, running up to the guards and showing them the Caller ID.

The stranger stared at her, still grinning.

"What?" she asked, wondering at what he found so comical about the situation.

He simply shook his head, "Aren't you going to answer it?"

Emily blushed, a bit embarrassed...

"Hello, ." she emphasized, almost shouting his name to prove a point to the guards.

"What's taking so long?" he asked, frustrated.

"Your guards won't let me in, sir."

"What are you talking about? There's a car parked right outside the company, near the bus stop you don't need to get past them. This _is _a job you know. If you're not going to take it seriously, I can hire someone else Ms. Thorne. I suggest you hurry." He said, hanging up.

Emily nervously looked at the three pairs of eyes that were solely focused on her,

"Well, nice meeting you lot. I will get going, change of plans..." she said, walking away flustered with her stupidity.

"WAIT!" the stranger called out, running towards her.

"I _really_ have to go." She said, not bothering to turn around, she would only get distracted by his impeccable features.

"Here's your purse..." he said, handing it to her...

Emily could feel the blood rush to her cheeks, _how much more stupid can I get_, she wondered. _He must think I'm a bumbling idiot._

"Thanks, I almost forgot." She said, looking at him for one split second, and grabbing the purse. She couldn't help but notice his smirk..._Great; he __**does**__think I'm an idiot._

She looked around, and saw the company car. It was a gray convertible, and it looked so _beautiful_. There wasn't a single scratch on it, and Emily was left gawking at the car. She couldn't believe that she hadn't seen it in the first place. What was wrong with her? She sighed, and got in. This was going to be a _long_ day.

**Daniel. **

Daniel Grayson grabbed his tenth drink that night, and gulped it down in one take. He looked around him, the club lights were glaringly bright, and the music was excruciatingly loud. He couldn't even hear himself think. He glanced at the clock, which read 11:00. He called his father,

"Where is my driver?" he asked frustrated.

"She's on her way..." he answered.

"_She?" _Daniel asked, suddenly a bit interested.

"Yes, now you better sober up a bit, there might be some press hovering as soon as you exit the club. You can never be too careful, and I _don't _want to see your face on the front page of the newspaper understand?"

Daniel just hung up. He couldn't care less about what his father wanted.

"Shall we?" asked a woman walking up to Daniel, and hooking her arm in his.

Daniel looked at her,

"We shall, just let my driver come first," Daniel replied.

**Emily. **

_You have arrived at your destination, _read the GPS.

Emily looked around, there had to be a mistake. She was at a bar, and not _just _any bar, one of the most trashy ones in the area. There is no way that he could be here. Frustrated, she hit her head on the wheel, accidentally honking. All the people turned towards her car. Emily hoped more than anything for the windows to be tinted. She looked around and spotted for someone that looked remotely decent. She would ask them for some _proper_ directions. _What good is a high tech GPS if it doesn't even work?_

She got out her phone and dialed Conrad. He would be enraged with her. Not only had she managed to be late, but now she had to revert to asking him for directions...she was sure to be fired.

"Mr. Grayson, I am at the location, but is there a chance that the coordinates are wrong? I don't see your son, and quite frankly, I don't think he would be here."

"He's there, trust me." Conrad sighed, and then hung up.

Emily parked her car from across the street, and walked to the club. She could hear the chaos from a mile away. How had this place not shut down yet? As she walked in, many people looked at her with beady eyes. She ignored them, and opened the door. As soon as she entered, her eyes squinted. The disco lights were going to blind her...they were so neon and bright. Resisting the urge to run back out, she looked around for someone, _anyone_, who remotely resembled Conrad Grayson. Without much luck, she went over to the bartender to ask for some water. This was exhausting, and she clearly couldn't do this job. Even though she desperately needed the money, this was too demanding. She would quit before going through the embarrassment of having Conrad fire her...again.

"Water, please." She asked, the bartender.

"Sure," he replied.

She looked beside him, on one side there was a old man who seemed to be drinking his worries away, and on her other side, there was a young person who seemed like he _had_ no worries in the first place. He had hinged on his arm, a woman, who looked indecent by all means. She scoffed, some people really were desperate. Giving up looking for Conrad's son, she sat there in defeat. This place was huge; there was no way that she would find him here.

"Here you go Mr. Grayson." The bartender said to the person beside her. Immediately her head turned.

"Put it on my tab."

Emily got up, and walked towards him. He reeked of alcohol, and his clothes were all stained.

"You're Mr. Grayson then?" she inquired,

The man looked at her, with squinted eyes, and didn't say a word. He dismissively just went back to gulping down more alcohol. Now she understood why Conrad had said that he was a _handful_. This guy was shameless, she couldn't even believe that he could be related to one of the most respected politicians the country.

"I'm your driver?" she said, hoping to catch his attention, and ring a bell.

He then, got up and walked towards the exit without saying a word, the woman with him followed. Emily didn't know what was happening, he was so _rude_. What the hell was his problem...she followed the two of them outside;

"Bring the car." The woman said to Emily, in a somewhat lowly manner. She had brown hair up to her shoulders, and bright red lipstick. Her face was caked with so much makeup; Emily was surprised that she wasn't weighed down by all of it. She was also wearing a black, translucent dress that barely covered her thighs, tall boots. In other words, her dressing style was _very_ provocative. Emily looked at her and felt somewhat sorry for the girl, she seemed to be in her early 20's, and Emily found herself wondering what circumstances the girl had to face, to end up like that at a bar so late in the night.

She then looked at Mr. Grayson. He too, looked to be in his mid 20's, but _this _guy, shouldn't be here of all places. He looked like a mess. He was wearing a light gray suit, but his tie had loosened, and his blazer was ripped, and unbuttoned. His hair was completely and fully dishevelled. She looked at his face, he seemed to be on the verge of passing out. His eyes were only half open, and his walk had become more of a dragging motion.

As soon as the two people got in the car, she could smell the strong sent of alcohol to the point where it almost her throw up.

"Where to?" she asked,

"Any hotel..." The stranger answered. His voice was thick and raspy, but barely audible.

While driving, Emily looked at the two people sitting in the backseat. They were making out, and quite intensely. Disgusted, Emily looked away...this was _not_ what she had signed up for.

"We're almost there you know, just wait till you get to the hotel." Emily said, once again, thinking out loud.

The two didn't pay much attention to what she was saying, but she thought she saw the guy look up for a brief second, with an expression that she couldn't quite understand.

Emily abruptly stopped the car on the side of the road. She was going to quit anyway and today had been a rough day, she didn't need _any_ of this; the tires screeched as the car came to a complete halt.

She got out, and started whistling,

"What are you doing?" said the intoxicated man, getting out with frustration in his voice.

"Calling a TAXI," she stated platonically;

"Are you _that _disturbed by our PG-13 kissing?" he asked, scoffing. She could have sworn that the guy's lips formed a small smile, even if it was rather distant.

She glared at him, the nerve of this guy. He clearly had no shame whatsoever.

"You guys can make out, and do whatever when you get to the hotel, but not in _this_ car. So either get out or be decent. I guess the apple fell far from the tree." She added.

The guy suddenly changed his expression, and suddenly, there was some sort of _darkness_ in his eyes. He just grabbed Emily by the arm and dragged her back to the car.

"WHY DOES _EVERYONE_ KEEP DRAGGING ME TODAY?" she screamed in frustration,

"Would you shut up? It's giving me a headache," the stranger said, covering his ears.

Emily obliged, and surprisingly the two in the back had reverted to a somewhat mannerly fashion. They were no longer eating each other's faces for once.

"We're here." She said, stopping the car.

The woman got out, but appallingly, the man had fallen asleep. The woman, clearly offended stormed off, slamming the car door without a word. Emily didn't know what she should do. She looked at the stature of the man in the back, and she couldn't help but notice that there was almost some sort of sadness around him, she looked at how calm, peaceful, and innocent he looked...of course, only when he was sleeping. She smiled,

"Can you stop staring at me? It is rude." He simply declared, still with his eyes closed.

Emily, a bit surprised, quickly averted her gaze...

"I wasn't looking-"

"It's okay, I don't blame you...I tend to have this effect on women," he replied, grinning.

Emily sighed, this guy was unbelievable.

"Your girlfriend stormed off you know...you should probably go after her."

"Some other time, right now though, I'm _starving_. Have you had dinner yet?" he asked, smiling.

Emily looked around for the bag of food that Jack had given her, but she suddenly remembered the incident with the guards, she had left it there. _Just great_, she thought.

"Hellooo, are you even listening? I asked if you'd eaten yet."

"Uh, yeah...I already ate. I know a few places that might still be open at this hour, if you want, Mr. Grayson."

"Call me Daniel."

"Just a minute ago, you were drunk out of your head, and all of a sudden you're fine?" she asked suspiciously.

"I know a thing or two," he said, winking.

Emily looked at the time, it was almost midnight. She had to wake up early in the morning, and she hadn't even gotten home yet. This job was too much for her, she would quit first thing tomorrow. Emily rubbed her eyes, trying to keep awake. She wasn't used to such late nights.

Daniel was intently looking at her...

"_Actually_, I'm not so hungry anymore, let's call it a day,"

"Are you sure?" she asked, not fully believing him.

"Positive."

"Alright so, where to?" she asked, tiresomely.

"Grayson Manor."

Emily happily obliged, she would finally be able to go home and comfortably sleep in her bed. The ride back was silent, Daniel seemed to have a lot on his mind, and Emily was just too exhausted to make proper conversation. When she dropped Daniel off, she caught him looked at her intensely with no emotion on his face whatsoever, before he quickly looked away. _Today is such an odd day,_ she thought.

As Emily got home that night, she fell asleep in a matter of seconds, unaware of the fact that her life was about to drastically change.

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**Author's Note**

**What did you guys think? Should I continue it? I have a few ideas of what I'd like to do, but if I get a good response, I shall continue writing, if not, I will end up leaving this story, so leave a REVIEW, and let me know your thoughts. **

**Again, be sure to review. I'd really appreciate it. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**

**Hey guys, thank you for giving this story a chance. I was quite happy with the reviews I got, so for the most part, I'm leaning towards continuing the story; **

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**CHAPTER 2**

Emily woke up the next morning feeling mentally and physically drained. She looked in the mirror and sighed. There were enormous bags under her eyes, and her hair was a mess. She had forgotten to untie the ponytail from last night, and it now looked like half of her hair had been chopped off. She groaned, and went about her day. It wasn't until she was on the bus, that she had time to properly think about the mess of last night. She had conflicting feelings. In a way, if she stuck with the job then she would finally be able to have some savings for her future, but it was too demanding. That is to say, if Conrad Grayson didn't already have plans on firing her for her tardiness. She got to The Stowaway, and thankfully it wasn't one of their busy days, so Emily got some time to herself to nap. Of course she didn't really notice Jack's puzzling glances at her until her shift was somewhat over;

"Are you okay? You seem a bit out of it." He asked, offering her a can of beer.

"I'm fine, I just want to go home." She said, extending her hand and drinking it.

Jack sighed, "Did you like the food I gave you yesterday?"

"The food?..Oh the _food_. Funny story, I actually forgot it-" Emily was interrupted by a phone call. She didn't recognize the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Come get me..." the person simply stated,

Before Emily could reply, they had hung up. At first Emily didn't get the connection, but she figured that it must have been Mr. Grayson. A few seconds later, she received a text with the location that he was at. Emily inwardly sighed, it seemed like she couldn't even have five seconds to herself.

"Who was that?" asked Jack,

"Someone...I'm sorry, but I'm going to head home early today," she said, slinging her purse on her shoulders running out the door, leaving Jack stunned at her odd behaviour.

Emily tried to call Mr. Grayson back, but it seemed like his phone had been turned off. Luckily for her, as soon as she got to the bus stop, she didn't have to wait much since the bus was already there. When she got off, she took the company car and went to the location that he had texted her. Emily was still shocked when she found out that it was yet another obscure nightclub. After waiting outside for Mr. Grayson, she prepared for the major headache she was going to soon have, and went inside the club. This one was even bigger than the one she had been to yesterday. Emily looked up, it had five levels! She had never been to such a crazy place like this before. Everywhere she looked, there were people, and they all seemed to be as equally drunk, and out of their minds. She cautiously looked around, and to her surprise spotted Mr. Grayson despite the overwhelming public. _Maybe I'm not too bad at this_, she thought, praising herself. Walking towards him, she noticed a slur of girls following him. Once again, he had the same demeanor. Ripped clothes, and ruffled hair. Does this guy even have a sense of responsibility? By the looks of it, he behaved like he was born in such a wild place. As he got closer, she saw smile creep on his face as he acknowledged her presence. He started walking towards hastily.

"Thank god you're here." He said with a grin, and out of nowhere, he grabbed Emily by the waist and kissed her on the lips. As soon as Emily realized what was happening, she tried to pull away but Daniel's gripped her waist even tighter.

"You jerk! You told me that we were exclusive!" screamed a lady; coming up him, enraged.

Daniel broke the kiss and stepped beside Emily forcefully putting an arm around her shoulder, despite Emily's efforts to shrug it off.

"I've moved on." He replied, turning to Emily who was still baffled by what had happened moments earlier. The woman, without saying a word left in tears, and so did the rest of the women behind her.

"What the hell was that?" asked Emily, fuming at Daniel, and jerking his hand on her shoulder away.

"Oh, _that_? Some obsessed girl." He said, stealing a drink from a random person beside him, and drinking it himself.

"You're unbelievable." She said, walking away from him.

"I try," he replied grinning.

"I'll be in the car." She said, biting her teeth, and trying to sound calm and collected.

Daniel simply waved his hand as if to signal her to leave.

_Jerk_, Emily thought.

"WAIT." Daniel said, grabbing her wrist.

"What?" asked Emily, releasing her hand from his firm grasp.

"You look like one of those types of girls who are usually too quick to read into mindless situations."

"Excuse me?" she asked, in disbelief. Where was he even going with this?

"I was simply trying to get rid of those clingy girls when I-"

"Whatever, I don't care." She said, not really wanting to discuss it with him.

Daniel looked at her oddly for a moment, "Great. So we're good then?" grinned Daniel.

Emily's eyes looked like they shot daggers at Daniel, and she simply walked away. Thinking back to the kiss however, she could have sworn she felt something rather _electrical_ when their lips touched, but maybe that was her overactive imagination. She quickly erased the thought and headed towards the car. S

**Daniel.**

Daniel smiled to himself, as he recollected Emily's reaction and walked back to the bartender,

"One more." He requested

"Are you sure that's a good idea Sir? You've had quite a lot already."

Daniel simply glared...and without the word, the man obliged.

**Emily.**

After an hour of waiting in the car, Emily was about to leave without Daniel when she saw him walk out of the club drunk out of his mind. His eyes were red, and he seemed to be walking with a limp, half asleep. She quickly drove the car to him, and gestured him to get in.

"Hotel." He simply said.

Emily found Daniel Grayson to be peculiar. Why did he want to go to a hotel? He had a million dollar mansion that he could stay at instead, so why would he stay at the hotel? It didn't make much sense, but neither did Daniel. There was something about him, something that she couldn't quite point out. Suddenly, she got a phone call. Emily pulled over to the side of the road;

"I was just about to call you, Mr-"

"Is my son with you?" he asked, interrupting Emily completely. _Like father, like son_, she thought.

"Yeah, I was just going to drop him off."

"Is he with anyone?"

Emily looked at him,

"No sir, he's alone, but he _is _quite...intoxicated."

"Bring him to the manor as soon as possible." he demanded, before he abruptly hung up.

She looked at Daniel, who seemed to be asleep, but just to make sure that he wasn't faking, she waved her hand towards his face, and he didn't flinch a bit. _A lost child, _that's who he reminded her of, a confused, mislead, kid.

"We're here." She said, waking him up.

Daniel let out a huge groan, and rubbed his eyes;

"This is _not_ the hotel..." he said looking out the window still groggy.

"Uh, your dad requested to see you sir." Emily replied.

"You work for me, _not_ him."

"_Actually_, my employer is Conrad Grayson."

"Turn around, and follow orders, like you are paid to." Daniel said sneering.

"I _am _following orders, just not by you." Emily replied, sternly.

"Before I go ballistic on you, I suggest you lose the attitude and drive me to the hotel."

"No. Is it _that_ hard for you to see your father? You guys must have a messed up relationship." Emily said, thinking out loud.

"I don't see how that's any of your business." Daniel said, almost shouting.

"Just go." She said, getting impatient.

"You're fired." Daniel said angrily,

Emily scoffed in disbelief; he even had a temper tantrum equivalent to that of a kid.

"Like I said, Mr. Grayson is my employer. _He's _going to have to fire me."

"Get out." Daniel said, getting out of the car, and opening Emily's car door to prompt her to leave.

She wanted to quit anyway, Emily reasoned; "Fine, have it your way, _jerk_." She exclaimed getting out.

"What did you just call me?" he questioned wearily,

"I'm sorry, were you offended by my PG-13 swearing?" she asked sarcastically, giving him a taste of his own medicine.

"Out of all the damn drivers in the world and I get stuck with you. Just my luck." He stated, annoyed.

"The feeling is more than mutual trust me." She sneered.

"Don't you have someone else's time to waste?" asked Daniel, getting in the car.

"You're right, I'm wasting my _own _time by talking to you." She replied, walking away from Grayson Manor in a huff.

**Daniel.**

The nerve of this girl was just unbelievable, thought Daniel. Was she not afraid of _anything_? She questioned everything he did, and she questioned his relationship with his dad, which no one had even dared to think about, let alone comment on.

"What do you want?" asked Daniel, rudely as he opened the door to Conrad's study.

"How long is this going to last?"

"What are you even referring to?" he asked, clearly disinterested.

"Don't play dumb with me son," replied Conrad, leaning against his leather chair.

"Whatever happened was in the past, sober up, let it go, move on."

How could Daniel just _move on_? As if that was even an option for him...

"You know I can't do that." He replied, with the sternest expression.

"I called you here to discuss future prospects regarding my company." He replied,

"What makes you think I am interesting in your company?" he asked scoffing,

"It's not a choice, you _have _to do this. You're 23, you're not going anywhere in life. I am giving you a career, a new start, right here, and you'd be foolish to reject it."

"On the contrary, I'd be foolish to _accept_ it, father."

"Whatever happened in the past, you _have_ to forget. Don't let it control your life. I'm begging you to do this. Ever since you were little you wanted to follow in my footsteps, are you going to let one small incident stop you from living out the rest of your life?"

Daniel suddenly cringed, and sat down on the chair across from Conrad.

"What's your proposal?" he asked, his voice almost cracking.

"There's a company that's a division of Grayson Global, the boss has retired, so I was planning to make you the CEO, seeing as though you already have the experience, and qualifications, even though they may be a little outdated."

"That's a _huge_ deal, can't we start with something small?" asked, Daniel.

"I'm afraid not. I trust you enough to know that you'll be able to handle it, you are my son after all. I need someone I can trust fully, for this, and that's you."

"I need some time to think." Daniel said, getting up.

"Let me know as soon as you can," replied Conrad.

"One more thing, I need a new driver."

"What happened _this _time?" inquired Conrad.

"She was too...confusing." Daniel stated after giving up trying to think of a word to describe her...

Conrad sighed, and nodded. "That will be your 6th replacement this month. It's getting harder for me to fine ones that won't report your amateur behaviour to the press."

"Not my problem that all of them suck." He stated, reverting back to his arrogant persona.

**Emily.**

As Emily got home, she quickly took a shower, and exhaustingly went to bed. She was sleep deprived, and she could finally relax. A part of her couldn't help but regret the fact that she had been fired, she could have really used the money, but at least she tried.

In the middle of the night however, Emily was awakened by a sudden outburst of music. Fumbling for her phone in the dark, she picked it up;

"Who is it?" she rudely questioned, half asleep.

"Pick me up at the lakeshore." replied someone on the other end.

This time Emily immediately recognized the voice, and she sighed. He had _fired_ her, so why was he calling, and never mind that, but it was 4:00 in the morning, why was he even awake? By the time Emily could form the words to reply, he had managed to hang up. She tried to call him again, but he seemed to have switched off his cell phone. This guy was _really_ getting on her nerves. Nonetheless, for whatever reason, she decided that she'd better go, if anything happened to him, the fault would be on her seeing that she was supposed to be his driver, and that Conrad hadn't _officially_ fired her.

Emily drove out to the lakeshore, and she immediately spotted Daniel Grayson. He was the only one there at this ungodly hour. He had his pants rolled up to his knees, and his legs were dangling in the water as he sat on the edge of the sidewalk. He was facing the vast lake, and staring out into what seemed like nothingness. As she walked closer, he saw that he had removed his tie, which was now lying beside him, and he still had the same ruffled hair as before. Also beside him, was a label for what seemed to be a six pack of beer, and emptied out cans all around him.

"Let's go." She said walking up to him,

He turned around, and stared at her without any expression, and then resumed to looking out towards the ocean. Emily noticed his bloodshot, and puffed eyes..._could he have been crying_? Of course not she reasoned, he wasn't capable of such emotion, she realized as she recalled how his usually ruthless behaviour.

"LOOK, I don't even know why I bothered coming. You're clearly just getting a kick out of this. Also, did you forget that you fired me? I mean honestly, what is it with you? I have never met anyone as arrogant and rude as you. Why did you even call me if you were just going to keep on doing whatever you're doing..." She frustratingly said.

He didn't say reply, or even acknowledge that he heard her.

"I'm _leaving_." She said, as she started to walk away, almost feeling somewhat sorry for him.

"Stay." He whispered in a small, barely audible tone.

He turned his head around, looked at her, and then cleared the beer cans away on the floor, and then he patted it, as if to gesture her to sit down.

Emily didn't really know what to say, he looked like he really _did _need someone right now so, she swallowed her harsh words and sat down beside him. She too, rolled up her pajamas, and put her feet in the water.

"Damn, that's _cold_!" she instinctively exclaimed,

He looked at her and smiled at her sudden outburst, and in that split second, she realized that he didn't seem half as bad when he _did_ smile. As opposed to how worn down, and lost he looked almost always, she saw the child in him, there was almost a sort of naivety in him that made her forget about all the bad things about him. But as the sun started to rise out in the horizon, the rawness of him faded, as he wore the stern expression that he usually bore.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she inquired,

He simply shook his head, and Emily understood.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Please Follow/Favorite/Review! **

**I would really love to hear your thoughts and opinions on the story, so PLEASE leave a review after reading it. :) **

**- Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note.**

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 3 **

Emily looked out into the horizon, the sun had started to come up, and she faintly heard the murmur of people behind her. She looked at Daniel, who had the same blank expression for three hours now.

She looked at the time, "Mr. Grayson, I have to go now, are you okay?" she asked, breaking the silence.

After a while, she finally got a reply, "I always was." He said, clearing his throat and getting up, leaving Emily sitting there in disbelief.

Emily sat there speechless, _Why did she even bother in the first place_?

She walked towards Daniel who seemed to have a stern expression on his face. In a way, she was almost relived, it was better than no emotion at all, like before. A part of her desperately wanted to know what the problem was, but she just felt like she would be annoying him.

"Hurry up." He said, pointing to the car.

"You _fired _me." Emily said, approaching him.

"And now I know why...are you always this slow?" he replied, impatiently tapping his fingers on the hood of the car.

"What's your deal?" she said, with an exaggerated sigh

"I'm sorry? My _deal_?" he asked, clueless.

"Never mind, where do you have to go?" she asked, getting into the car, not wanting to deal with him, right now.

"Grayson Global" he replied, almost whispering.

Emily yawned and obliged, and soon enough they reached their destination.

"Wait here." He said, getting out of the car.

"I have to go to work." She replied,

"You _work _for me." He said in a matter of fact-ly tone.

"Not anymore. I only gave you a ride here as a friend. I didn't want to be rude."

"You...a _friend_, is my life _that_ bad?" he said, with the small hint of a smirk.

"I would say it was nice knowing you, but it really wasn't." She replied, driving off leaving Daniel Grayson baffled.

**Emily.**

Emily barely made it to The Stowaway on time, she had a few minutes to spare; thankfully. She wasn't in the mood or mindset to work though. She desperately needed to get some rest, her eyes were red from lack of sleep and she felt like even if she closed her eyes for a moment, she'd fall asleep in a matter of seconds. Thankfully, half of her shift was already done...

"Someone called for you, Em." Jack said, handing Emily her cell phone during her break.

"Thanks,"

"Hello?" she said, into the microphone...

"It's Conrad."

"Mr. Grayson...I know why you called..." she said, embarrassed that she had failed at such a simple task.

"Actually, I can't seem to find a decent replacement just yet, so I would like you to continue working for him."

"I don't know if he'll-"

"I know I was very abrupt when I asked you to do this job, but if you let me, I'd like to personally meet with you since I have something I need to discuss."

"Personally?" asked Emily reluctantly,

"It won't take too much of your time..."

"Sure, what time works for you?" she replied, unsure.

"Drop by the manor at eight, I will talk to you then."

**Daniel. **

As Daniel sat in Conrad's office, he couldn't help by be nervous. Every instinct of his shouted that it was a bad idea, but he _had _to. He couldn't avoid it all his life, he had to at least _try_.

"I'm hoping you have good news?" asked Conrad, as he stepped into his office.

"I thought about what you said..."

"AND...?" Conrad prompted,

"And, I think I want to give it a try." Daniel said solemnly.

"That's wonderful, I knew you'd come around. You are a Grayson after all." He said, patting his son's back.

"BUT, I can back out of it anytime I want..."

"Of course, just say the word." Replied Conrad, overwhelmed with his son's decision.

"I will send you the contract right away."

Daniel just nodded, and walked out. He felt claustrophobic, like he couldn't breathe...he ran outside the building to get some fresh air. _What if history repeats itself? _He quickly dismissed his insecurities, and deeply sighed. He loosened his tie, and hauled a taxi.

**Emily. **

"Jack, I have to leave early again today," she apologetically said,

"_Again_? It's the third day in a row Emily...is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm trying to balance a few things at the moment. I'm really sorry; you can take the money from my paycheck."

"You know I wouldn't. But, I suggest you sort things out. And, another thing...you should visit your dad. It's been a while."

"Thank you for understanding, and I'll call you later tonight." She said, hurrying out the door.

Emily reached the Grayson Manor on time. This time however, she didn't have any trouble with the guards. They seemed to have recognized her from before, thankfully. She walked in and was amazing at how beautiful it was. There were two symmetrical spiral staircases that framed the hall, and a huge chandelier hung from above, right in the middle. It illuminated the entire room perfectly. Where the two staircases merged, was where a beautiful painting lay. Its color scheme complimented the curtains, which hung from the side of the bay windows. She stood there breathless...

"Are you okay Ma'am?" asked a voice behind her.

"Huh? Yeah, this house is _so _gorgeous." she exclaimed, looking at the detail in each corner of the room.

"As are you." the voice behind her replied,

Emily, suddenly coming out of her daydream turned around to see who had said that, and saw someone familiar, she just couldn't quite figure out where she'd seen him. Without realizing that she was being rude, Emily found herself staring at the person...

"Blink." They said, coming closer.

"I'm sorry?" she replied, still trying to figure out who the person was.

"You haven't blinked for a good two minutes." He said, smiling at her.

"Sorry, have we met before?" she questioned,

"I'm offended. How can you not remember me?" the person asked, feigning offense.

"So we _have _met then?"

"I could tell you, but where's the fun in that?" he replied smirking,

"Uh, would you happen to know where I can find Conrad Grayson?" she asked looking at the time...

"I'll walk you there," He said, with a grin on his face.

Exactly who was this stranger and how did he know her? Emily found herself fawning over his flawless self. He had a thick British accent from what she could make out, and he had so much class and composure, not to mention how handsome he was. He didn't look like he worked here, his attire was so formal and fancy. He was wearing a perfectly tailored suit and...

"WAIT. I know where I've seen you before." She exclaimed, looking at him with a huge smile,

"Do you now?" he asked, with a smirk.

"You're the guy that I saw a few nights ago...with the car and the guards..."

The person simply nodded, and smiled.

"I never got to thank you for helping me out, you know." She replied.

"And, I never got to thank you for the wonderful dinner that night."

"Dinner? But I didn't...OH; I forgot I'd left it there, glad you enjoyed it..."

"I thought you'd come back for it, so I waited...quite a bit." He said, his smile somewhat fading.

"Seriously?" she asked, in disbelief.

"Yeah, and then I figured you weren't coming so I had a nice romantic dinner with the guards." he said in his heavenly, rich accent.

"I'm so jealous..." Emily replied jokingly.

"Guess it's only fair if I treat _you _to dinner then...as an apology for eating yours." he coyly stated,

Emily smiled, and she was about to reply, when she saw someone that completely ruined her mood...in an instant, she found herself frowning.

Daniel Grayson was walking towards her.

"What do you say?" the person asked, looking at her, unaware of her diverted attention.

"What are _you _doing here?" asked Daniel with a frown on his face, approaching Emily. Suddenly, his eyes flicked to the person beside Emily and he cringed even more...

"I'm here to see Mr. Grayson." She replied, confidently; straightening her slouched posture.

"I don't see why you're so happy about that. You _do _know he's going to fire you right?" said Daniel, with a smirk.

"From the looks of it, you should know all about that." Emily countered...

The person beside her suddenly scoffed and it was obvious that he was trying to refrain from laughing.

Daniel looked at him, "Don't you have better things to be doing?" he asked the stranger,

"I think _this _is way more entertaining though," he said, slinging an arm around Emily's shoulder.

Daniel looked at the both of them, "I couldn't think this day could get any worse."

Emily glared at him, as we walked away...

"Do you know him?" she asked the person,

"Yes." The person replied, not really expanding on their answer. Emily got the hint, so for the rest of the way, she didn't say much.

"Here you are." He said, pointing to an office...

"Thank you...may I know your name?" she asked,

"Aiden." He said, smiling.

Emily took a note of it, and she walked in the office, nervous. She knocked on the door first, but when she didn't get a reply, she opened the door, and she felt her heart beat faster. Conrad Grayson tends to be intimidating, she had known this when she had previously worked for him. She looked behind, and Aiden was prompting her to go in she nodded her head and walked in feeling a bit more confident.

"Mrs. Thorne, you're late." He said, not looking up from his papers.

"I-I'm sorry...this place is a little confusing." She replied, her voice shaking.

"Have a seat," he ushered.

Emily nervously sat down on the chair across from him.

"How do you like working for my son?" he asked,

"He's quite a handful," she replied,

Conrad looked up at Emily and put down his papers,

"I want to offer you _another _job, its better suited for you...I should think."

"What exactly is it?"

"I want you to be his bodyguard, as you were for me..."

"With all due respect Mr. Grayson, I don't think that's a good idea, we don't exactly get along well."

"That may be the case, but I really want you to consider this."

"You may not know, but he's been through a tough time, and adjusting to America isn't the easiest thing, I want you to make sure that his transition is smooth."

"All I'm getting from that is that you want me to be his babysitter..."

"Emily, I have other people I can ask for this, more experienced people, but you should be glad I am asking you."

"Why exactly are you asking _me_?"

"I have my reasons; I am doing it more for myself than for you. For me, it's a form of compensation."

"_Compensation_? From what exactly?" she asked, raising her eyebrow...

"That doesn't matter. If you accept this job, you will be provided with a house, a stable salary, and many company benefits." He replied,

"But it's not exactly like people want to attack him. Most of them don't even know he's your son."

"Things are going to change. He's going to draw unwanted attention, and your skills are sufficient."

"I'm out of practice sir; I haven't done this for a while."

"Well, nothing you can't handle." He said, sliding Emily the contract.

"Have a look at it, and get back to me soon." He said, giving her the papers.

Emily nodded, and quietly left. As she walked, she flipped through the many pages. There were so many rules that she'd have to follow. She would have to stay with Daniel for 24/7 when she could barely tolerate him for a few seconds, which also meant that she would have to quit her job at The Stowaway. She sighed and folded the papers, and put them back in my purse. She tried to spot Aiden as she hoped he'd still be near but there was no sign of him.

"Hold on!" called a voice behind her.

She turned to see Daniel Grayson, jogging towards her.

"What did my dad want to talk to you about?" he asked,

"You'd better discuss that with him." She replied, walking away.

Daniel sighed, "Whatever," he said, walking away...

**Daniel. **

After Daniel had agreed to Conrad's deal, he felt restless and uneasy the entire day. He wanted more than anything to go out to a bar and drink his worries away, but he couldn't without a driver. He'd briefly thought about asking Emily, but she seemed to have a lot on her mind. When he'd seen her walking back from the manor, she'd been really zoned out. Plus, he didn't think having such a distracted driver would be a good idea, so for the time being he was stuck at the manor. He could talk to Aiden, but they had never really gotten along. It hadn't always been that way, but ever since Daniel had left for Europe, their relationship had never been the same. They used to be the closest of friends before, but it was replaced with a diminishing shadow of what they used to be. The most they'd say is the casual, hi and hello whenever they see each other and that was it. Daniel broke away from his thoughts when he got an email from Conrad. It had a list of all the things he had to do before he could assume position of the company he was planning to overtake. He looked at it and sighed. This was it...his past was no longer going to be an obstacle; he was going to overcome it. Looking at his phone, he flipped through his contacts and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a name that made his heart stop for a moment. He wanted to desperately call her and ask about how she was doing, but he just stared at the screen, as he sat on the sofa. He scrapped the "no drinking rule" and hauled a taxi nonetheless. He needed drink his worries away. This was too much for him to handle.

**Emily.**

Emily sat in the hospital room staring at her father. It broke her heart to see him like this, there were wires that were connected to every part of him, and it had been like that for a while now. Her dad was in a vegetative state for five years now, and there really wasn't much that she could do about it. Emily hadn't visited him for a while, and she began to cry upon seeing him. There was so much that he was missing, her life had completely turned upside down since he'd last talked with her. She longed for those small, seemingly insignificant conversations that she'd had with her father, because now they seemed like a lifetime away. Her memory was failing her, and she feared that one day, those memories would be lost.

"The nurse told me you were in today," said someone behind her.

Emily smiled, "It's been a while."

"Ms. Thorne, I actually wanted to discuss something with you in my office."

"Sure," Emily said, as she wiped her tears and followed the doctor,

"We have all been monitoring your father's progress for years now, I'm sorry to inform you this, but that there hasn't been any change in his condition. His brain is working, but it doesn't respond to any stimuli. He's going to be here for six years almost, so I have to ask..."

Emily knew where this was going, "No, I'm _not _giving up," she stated,

"I know Ms. Thorne, but you have to listen to me. We are at a lack of resources and the life support that your father's on, occupies a _lot _of them and they could be put to better use. Every day we have to turn down a patient because we don't have enough accommodations. As a result, the manager of this hospital has passed on a new regulation; If someone has been in a non-responsive state for five years, the hospital is required to "pull the plug" if they wish."

"You're willing to _kill _someone because of some stupid rule? He's still alive! My dad's still alive! How dare you even _mention _that to me?" she said, tears rapidly flowing down her cheeks,

"Calm down, Ms. Thorne. I understand what you're feeling but there isn't much I can do at this point."

"But he's _alive_. He has functioning organs, he has the vital signs. You're going to _murder _him." she shouted.

"Tell you what, I will see if there is a way you can get around this...but I thought that you had a right to know. Now the bill doesn't pass into circulation until next month, so there is some time to figure out a solution." He said,

Emily grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down something,

"This is my phone number. _Please _tell me if anything comes up." She said, as the doctor simply nodded in response.

"It'll be okay Ms. Thorne." He said, trying to comfort her.

As soon as Emily left the hospital, she wiped her tears and it was like she turned off her switch to be vulnerable. She put a barrier between her emotions and her actions, and walked aimlessly through the streets.

Suddenly, Emily's phone rang; thinking that it must be the doctor, she eagerly picked up.

"Any news?" she asked in anticipation.

"It's your employer."

Emily knew the voice right away...

"I'm not in the mood Daniel." She replied, about to hang up.

"What do you mean you're 'not in the mood' you're talking to _me_..." he replied, getting annoyed.

"What do you want?" she asked, rudely ignoring his egotistical behaviour.

"Refuse."

"I'm sorry?" she asked,

"I know the job Conrad offered you...refuse it."

"That's my decision to make." She said, slamming the phone and hanging up.

Emily didn't realize it, but she ended up staring at the entrance of a bar. She usually wasn't the type of person to drink her emotions, but right now, her sense of reasoning was blunt, so she walked in, sat on the bar stool and ordered a drink.

**Daniel. **

As Daniel Grayson sat in the bar, he was about to get a drink, when someone beat him to it. They seemed intoxicated already, seeing as though they rudely interrupted his order. As he turned to see who it was, he was shocked. What was _Emily _doing here? He hadn't called her, had he? He looked at her, but she didn't seem to acknowledge his presence. She was in her own world...

"You're the last person I'd expect to see." He said, as he sat down in the seat beside her, smirking.

* * *

**Thank you guys for the reviews and support! It means a lot to me. I apologize for not updating frequently, it just takes me a while to plan the story and write it out, and things have just been a bit busy. I will try and minimize my "tardiness" and update sooner. Please follow, favorite, or review the story so I know if you are enjoying it. Also, a lot of people have asked what the pairing is, and my answer to that is that you'll have to wait and see...I have a few ideas so far. **

**Happy New Year, and once again, please review! Thanks a million. :)**


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